Friday Fiction Fix: Talon's Test and the Shield of Faith

The Short:

Talon’s Test and the Shield of Faith

(The Talon Trilogy—Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Series Book 1)

Written By:

Nicholas J. Downing

4/5 Stars

What: Space centurion takes on hordes of space pirates while rescuing his true love and maintaining his faith.

Recommended to those who like: characters with an interesting backstory, science fiction, sword fights, space battles, a cool sci-fi world, strong Christian message, and a bit of love story.

Avoid if you don’t like: Lots of back story being dumped in the middle, or slow spots in the plot.

The Long:

                I’ll admit, this was a bit of an impulse buy for me. Space opera? Christian space opera? I mean, I might as well give it a try for $4…

                It was definitely worth the money.

                Talon’s Test is something we rarely see in Christian fiction.

                Although the love theme is strong, it didn’t dominate the entire plot. We still had things blowing up, sword fights, good back story. And it happened in space. When is the last time you can think of a Christian science fiction novel that took place in space? Other than C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy…

                Knight Centurion Talon Vance spends his days conquering space pirates preying on the Star Kingdom of Manna, a Christian nation in the future. He is appointed to Princess Naomi’s personal guard—a high honor, but one complicated by his love for her. A sinister plot by the rival NATAS, an atheistic kingdom, launches him and his princess on an adventure that involves assassination attempts, crash landings, sword fights, space battles, contact with alien species, and the spread of the gospel.

                Sounds awesome, right? And it is really good.

                Just a few warnings to the reader: it’s long. And backstory jumps in at odd times—like right in the middle of an epic space battle. On the upside, the world building is very good. Also, be warned that this book has a strong Christian message. Good? Definitely. But be prepared to sit through a few sermons--literally.

                So, if you’re looking for some great plot and don’t mind that plot slowing down at times, this is a great book for you. I challenge you to find another book in the same specific genre.

                I look forward to reading more works from Mr. Downing. Judging from this book, he has some awesome stories to share that break free from the mainstream subject matter of Christian publishing.

                If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts/opinions below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Downing and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the review format. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!